Tallaght

Tallaght (ˈtælə ; , ˈt̪ˠəul̪ˠəxt̪ˠ) is the largest town, and county town

County town

A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...

South Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. The county seat is Tallaght, the largest suburb of Dublin and the biggest urban centre in the county. Other important centres of population are Lucan and Clondalkin...

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. The village area, dating from at least the 17th century, held one of the earliest settlements known in the southern part of the island, and one of medieval Ireland's more important monastic centres.

Up to the 1960s Tallaght was little more than a village in remoter County Dublin

County Dublin

County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...

, linked to several nearby rural areas which were part of the large civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

of the same name - the county council estimates the then population at 2,500. Suburban development began in the 1970s and a town centre area has been developing since the late 1980s. Tallaght had a population of 71,467 at the 2011 census.

The village core of the district is located north of, and near to, the River Dodder

River Dodder

The River Dodder is one of the three main rivers of the Dublin region in Ireland, the others being the Liffey, of which the Dodder is the largest tributary, and the Tolka.-Course and system:...

, and parts of the broader area are close to the border of County Dublin

County Dublin

County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...

County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...

. Several streams flow in the area, notably the Jobstown or Tallaght Stream (a tributary of the Dodder River, and the Fettercairn Stream (a tributary of the River Camac

River Camac

The River Camac is one of the larger rivers in Dublin, Ireland, and was one of four tributaries of the Liffey critical to early development of the city.-Course:...

The River Poddle , is one of the best known of the more than a hundred watercourses of Dublin. It is the source of the name "Dublin", the city being named after a pool that was once on its course...

, rises in Cookstown, near Fettercairn.

Etymology

The place name Tallaght is derived from the words támh leacht, meaning plague burial place. The earliest mention of Tallaght in recorded material is an account of Parthalon in the Annals of the Four Masters

Annals of the Four Masters

The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...

. Parthalon the Greek was said to be one of the early invaders of Ireland and a plague is said to have killed 9,000 of his followers in one week, with their subsequent burial being in the vicinity of Tallaght. Thus the place came to be named Taimleach Muintire Parthalon. However, the burials that have been found in the Tallaght area are all normal pre-historic interments, mainly of the Bronze Age. Nothing suggesting a mass grave has so far been recorded here.
Although the factual history of this place is very hard to come by, it is still a town shrouded in historical events, from battles to plagues. The name alone is still not really agreed upon, as the name "Tallaght" is found all over Ireland. Druids are said to have come to the Tallaght Hills. Giving rise to the legend that Tallaght in this case means 'burial of the druid'.
Upon Mount Seskin (the tallest of the Tallaght Hills) can be seen numerous stone structures. The one that lies atop this mountain is commonly referred to as "The Hell Fire Club" and was built by a man called Speaker Connolly. Some say it was built from a "fairy ring", an ancient monument similar to Newgrange

Newgrange

Newgrange is a prehistoric monument located in County Meath, on the eastern side of Ireland, about one kilometre north of the River Boyne. It was built around 3200 BC , during the Neolithic period...

. Thus creating the perfect location for very many myths and legends about this place, as the destruction of these structures for any reason is said to bring bad luck, today all across the country side of Ireland can be found random mounds of earth. These are locally called "fairy rings" and farmers would rather leave them than risk the wrath of the "fairy folk".

Historical names of the area (by source)

Prehistory

The documented history of Tallaght dates back to early Christendom in Ireland but the many archaeological sites in the area suggest the presence of Bronze Age

Bronze Age

The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...

and perhaps even earlier settlers in the area.

8th to 12th centuries

With the foundation of the monastery of Tallaght by St. Maelruain in 769 A.D. we have a more reliable record of the area's early history. The monastery was a centre of learning and piety, particularly associated with the Céli Dé spiritual reform movement. It was such an important institution that it and the monastery at Finglas were known as the "two eyes of Ireland". St. Aengus, an Ulsterman, was one of the most illustrious of the Céli Dé and devoted himself to the religious life. Wherever he went he was accompanied by a band of followers who distracted him from his devotions. He secretly travelled to the monastery at Tallaght where he was not known and enrolled as a lay brother. He remained unknown for many years until his identity was discovered by Maeilruain. They may have written the Martyrology of Tallaght

Martyrology of Tallaght

The Martyrology of Tallaght, which is closely related to the Félire Oengusso or Martyrology of Óengus the Culdee, is an eighth- or ninth-century martyrology, a list of saints and their feast days assembled by Máel Ruain and/or Óengus the Culdee at Tallaght Monastery, near Dublin...

together, and St Aengus also wrote a calendar of saints known as the Féilire of Aengus.

St. Maelruain died in 792 and was buried in Tallaght. The influence of the monastery continued after his death, as can be judged by the fact that, in 806, the monks of Tallaght were able to prevent the holding of the Tailteann Games, because of some infringement of their rights.

In 811 the monastery was devastated by the Vikings but the destruction was not permanent and the annals of the monastery continued to be recorded for several following centuries. After the Anglo-Norman invasion in 1179, Tallaght and its appurtenances were confirmed to the Diocese of Dublin and became the property of the Archbishop. The complete disappearance of every trace of what must have been an extensive and well organised monastic settlement can only be accounted for by the subsequent history of the place, the erection and demolition of defensive walls and castles, and the incessant warfare and destruction that lasted for hundreds of years.

13th to 19th centuries

Throughout the greater part of the 13th century a state of comparative peace existed at Tallaght, but subsequently the O'Byrnes and O'Tooles, in what would become County Wicklow, took offensive action and were joined by many of the Archbishop's tenants. As a result of this the land was not tilled, the pastures were not stocked and the holdings were deserted. In 1310 the bailiffs of Tallaght got a royal grant to enclose the town. No trace of these defensive walls survive and there is no evidence of their exact location, except, perhaps, for the name of the Watergate Bridge which spans the Dodder on the Oldbawn Road.

The continuation of such raids prompted the construction, in 1324, of Tallaght Castle, and it was finished some time before 1349. Tallaght had become an important defensive site on the edge of the Pale. A century later it was reported to be in need of repair.

The 17th and 18th centuries brought many changes to Tallaght. Many mills were built along the Dodder and this brought new prosperity to the broad area, which saw the building of many houses.

When Archbishop Hoadley replaced Archbishop King in 1729 he found the castle in ruins, and had it demolished, building himself a palace at a cost of £2,500. By 1821 the palace too had fallen into ruin and an Act of Parliament was passed which stated that it was unfit for habitation. The following year it was sold to Major Palmer, Inspector General of Prisons, who pulled the palace down and used the materials to build his mansion, Tallaght House, as well as a schoolhouse and several cottages. Tallaght House is now incorporated in the buildings at St. Mary's Priory.

An ancient tower was spared in the demolition of the palace and was later incorporated into the buildings of St. Mary's Priory, where it still stands today. It contains a spiral staircase and was originally four storeys high but is now reduced internally to two. Attached to the castle was a long building which was used in the archbishop's time as a brewery and later as a granary and stables. Under the Dominicans it was converted into a chapel and was used as such until 1883 when the new church was built. The grounds of the Priory, the old palace gardens, still retain many features from the historic past such as the Archbishop's bathhouse, the Friar's Walk and "St. Maelruain's Tree".

The old constabulary barracks on the main street was the scene of the engagement known as the Battle of Tallaght, which occurred during the Fenian rising on 5 March 1867. On that night the Fenians moved out to assemble at the appointed place on Tallaght Hill. The large number of armed men alarmed the police in Tallaght who sent warning to the nearest barracks. There were fourteen constables and a head constable under Sub-inspector Burke at Tallaght, and they took up a position outside the barracks where they commanded the roads from both Greenhills and Templeogue. The first body of armed men came from Greenhills and, when they came under police fire, retreated. Next a party came from Templeogue, and were also dispersed. In 1936 a skeleton, sword-bayonet and water bottle were found in a hollow tree stump near Terenure. It is thought that these were the remains of one of the Fenians who had taken refuge there after the Battle of Tallaght and either died of his wounds or was frozen to death.

The Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway , later the Blessington and Poulaphouca Steam Tramway, operated steam-powered trams between Terenure in Dublin and Blessington in Co. Wicklow from 1888 until 1932.-History:...

opened and it passed through Tallaght Village. This provided a new means of transporting goods and also brought day-trippers from the city.

Modern development

While no plan was formally adopted, Tallaght was laid out as a new town

New town

A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...

, as set out in the 1967 Myles Wright masterplan for Greater Dublin (this proposed four self-contained "new towns" - at Tallaght, Clondalkin

Clondalkin

-Today:Modern Clondalkin is a busy satellite town of Dublin, with a population of 43,929 in 2006. Retail facilities include Tesco Ireland- and Dunnes Stores-led shopping centres, and Aldi and Lidl stores on the Fonthill Road and New Nangor Road respectively, and the village centre is a base for...

Blanchardstown is a large suburb of Dublin in the district of Fingal, Ireland. It is within the historical barony of Castleknock. It is located 10 km north-west of the city centre. The suburb is in the Dublin 15 postal area, the Dublin West electoral constituency, and Fingal County...

- all of which were at that time villages surrounded by extensive open lands, with some small settlements). Many of the social and cultural proposals in this plan were ignored by the Dublin local authorities, and contrary to planners' suggestions, Tallaght and the other "new towns" were not provided with adequate facilities. Characterised by the same problems associated with poorly planned fringe areas of many European cities, during the 1970s and 1980s Tallaght became synonymous with suburban mismanagement.

While it was absorbed into the larger suburban area of Dublin (including becoming the postal district Dublin 24 in the late 1980s), Tallaght has developed a distinctive identity, arising largely from its rapid growth during recent decades, and now has a thriving local arts, cultural, sports, and economic outlook.

Tallaght's Civic Square contains the seat of the local authority, County Hall, a newly renovated and well-equipped library facility, a theatre building and a "cutting edge" 4-storey arts centre named RUA RED (which opened on 5 February 2009). Along with other local libraries and arts groups, it also has another theatre building, and a homegrown youth theatre company. It is also the home to the Tallaght Swim Team, Tallaght Rugby Club , the National Basketball Arena

National Basketball Arena

National Basketball Arena, also known as Tallaght Arena or the ESB Arena, is an indoor sporting arena located in Tallaght, Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is used mainly for basketball events...

Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...

The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

clubs.

In October 2008 "An Bratach Fulaingt", or "The Endurance Flag" was designed for Tallaght during The D'No Project, run by Tallaght Youth Theatre

Tallaght Youth Theatre

Tallaght Youth Theatre was founded in 1994 by a joint committee of members from Tallaght Artsquad, St. Kevin's Drama Workshop and Tallaght Youth Service. The organisation is run primarily by former members and is always looking for volunteers. The theatre has had a 14 year relationship with...

in partnership with Tallaght Community Arts, and funded by Léargas - and was intended to be flown at the new county arts centre, Rua Red, on April 17 and 18th 2009. However, the flag was ultimately not flown and instead its colours were utilised within aspects of the performance.

Chronology

Saint Máel Ruain was founder and abbot-bishop of the monastery of Tallaght . He is often considered to be a leading figure of the monastic 'movement' that has become known to scholarship as the Céli Dé. He is not to be confused with the later namesake Máel Ruain, bishop of Lusca .-The foundation...

The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...

s.

1179: Tallaght and its hinterland, previously within the Diocese of Glendalough, confirmed as holdings of the Archdiocese of Dublin.

-Events:* "The defeat of Berna-in-mil was inflicted on Tomaltach Mac Diarmata and on Mac William, where were killed many of the people of Mac William by the son of the Earl and Tomaltach Mac Donnchaidh."...

; Tallaght Castle plundered by O'Toole of Imaile.

1378: Mathew, son of Redmond de Bermingham, takes up station at Tallaght Castle to resist the O'Byrnes.

-Events:*13 April - Catholic Emancipation Act becomes law, thanks to Daniel O'Connell and the Catholic Association..*12 July - Orange Institution parades in Belfast are banned, leading to demonstrations and serious rioting in Belfast...

The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...

The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...

-Events:*March — The Pan-Celtic Society is founded by William Butler Yeats.*April — Pope Leo XIII issues a decree denouncing the "Plan of Campaign" as the Holy Office issued a rescript to the Bishops of Ireland to boycott the Campaign...

The Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway , later the Blessington and Poulaphouca Steam Tramway, operated steam-powered trams between Terenure in Dublin and Blessington in Co. Wicklow from 1888 until 1932.-History:...

-Events:*January 20 - Labour ministers resign from the government over a disagreement over budget proposals.*February 19 - A general election returns a Fianna Fáil minority government with Charles Haughey as Taoiseach....

Alan Dukes is a former Irish politician who served as leader of the Fine Gael political party and Teachta Dála for Kildare and Kildare South. He holds the distinction of being one of only five TDs to be appointed Minister on their first day in the Dáil. He lost his seat in the 2002 general election...

-Events:*January 1 - The Northern Ireland Fair Employment Act becomes law.*April 3 - There is all-party support for the Government bill to abolish the death penalty for capital murder and replace it with lengthy prison sentences....

The Square Shopping Centre is a shopping centre in Tallaght in South Dublin County. It is located at the junction of the Belgard Road dual carriageway and the N81 and is beside the Luas Red Line terminus ....

South Dublin County Council is the local authority for the county of South Dublin in Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that comprised the former Dublin County Council before its abolition, and one of four councils in the Dublin Region...

comes into existence, with new headquarters at Tallaght; Tallaght Youth Theatre is founded; Tallaght’s second public library, situated beside the South Dublin County Council offices, opened in December.

Kilnamanagh is a suburban residential area in Tallaght, South Dublin, Ireland.-History:The name in Irish is Cill Na Manach, or 'church of the monks'. This refers to the church, well and castle established to house Saint Kevin and his followers...

-Events:*1 January – Ireland takes over as President of the European Commission.*1 January – Scouting Ireland was founded.*28 February – Five people are killed in a bus crash at Wellington Quay, Dublin....

Luas , also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, is a tram or light rail system serving Dublin, the first such system in the decades since the closure of the last of the Dublin tramways. In 2007, the system carried 28.4 million passengers, a growth of 10% since...

Dublin Heuston , commonly called Heuston Station , is one of Ireland's main railway stations, serving the south, southwest and west. It is operated by Iarnród Éireann , the national railway operator...

Dublin Connolly, commonly called Connolly station , is one of the main railway stations in Dublin, Ireland, and is a focal point in the Irish route network. Opened in 1844 as Amiens Street Station, the ornate facade has a distinctive Italianate tower at its centre...

2009 in Ireland has seen the nationalisation of Anglo Irish Bank, the loss of thousands of jobs at the Dell plant in Limerick and the Waterford Crystal plant in Waterford as unemployment breaks state records and extreme weather conditions disrupt schools, air and road traffic but not students who...

: The County Arts Centre, Rua Red, is opened; completion of Tallaght Stadium.

This is a summary of 2010 in Ireland.-January:*4 January—Met Éireann says Ireland is experiencing its most extreme cold spell of weather since 1963....

: On March 1, the RPA held a special meeting in Belgard Heights Community Centre to reveal the Metro West schematic; the first 4 stops of which will be in Tallaght (Tallaght East, Colberts Fort, Kilnamanagh, Newlands)

Events during the year 2011 in Ireland.-January:* 1 January** The Civil Partnership Act comes into effect allowing civil partnerships where hetero- and homosexual cohabiting couples have the same rights....

: On September 15, Shamrock Rovers hosted Rubin Kazan in what was the first UEFA Europa League group stage game to contain an Irish team. This game took place in the Tallaght Stadium

Tallaght Stadium

Tallaght Stadium is a football stadium in the Southside suburb of Tallaght, Dublin. Shamrock Rovers originally announced details of the stadium back in July 1996...

which would host 2 more games in the group stage.

Location

The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into Counties Carlow, Wexford and Dublin. Where the mountains extend into County Dublin, they are known locally as the Dublin Mountains...

. While there is no definition as such, it can be described as beginning southwest of Templeogue

Templeogue

Templeogue is a suburb of southwest Dublin, Ireland. The original Irish name Teach Mealóg refers to a chapel named after Saint Mel that was built there in about 1273....

Saggart is a suburban village in South Dublin County, Ireland, south west of Dublin city. It lies between the N7 , Rathcoole, and Tallaght.-Name:A monk called Mosacra founded a settlement on the site of the village in the 7th century...

, towards Glen na Smol in the south, and Old Bawn/Ballycragh to the east, to the southern edges of Clondalkin

Clondalkin

-Today:Modern Clondalkin is a busy satellite town of Dublin, with a population of 43,929 in 2006. Retail facilities include Tesco Ireland- and Dunnes Stores-led shopping centres, and Aldi and Lidl stores on the Fonthill Road and New Nangor Road respectively, and the village centre is a base for...

Walkinstown is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the Southside of the city, approximately 6 kilometres south-west of Dublin city centre. The suburb borders Crumlin to the east, Drimnagh to the north, Greenhills to the south and Ballymount, Bluebell and Clondalkin to the west...

in the northwest.

Transport

Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 18 night routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is...

Luas , also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, is a tram or light rail system serving Dublin, the first such system in the decades since the closure of the last of the Dublin tramways. In 2007, the system carried 28.4 million passengers, a growth of 10% since...

light rail system, which opened in September 2004. Though the first stop (Tallaght Cross) of the Red Line is called 'Tallaght', the entire 'Red 4' zone lies within the broader Tallaght area. Though there are buses to Clondalkin and Ballyfermot

Ballyfermot

Ballyfermot is a suburb in the city of Dublin.Celebrities such as the famous Furey Brothers and the brilliant Keenan family have all resided in Ballyfermot.Ireland, located 7 kilometres due west from the city centre, and to the south of the Phoenix Park...

Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...

, Tallaght is not well-connected to Dublin's other towns and suburbs, as public transport predominantly runs through Dublin city centre; this has led to high levels of car dependence.

A metro rail system is currently being planned for Dublin. Two lines have been proposed; Metro North, running from Dublin city to the airport, and Metro West, which, taking a circuitous route, is proposed to link Tallaght with the major satellite towns west of Dublin, including Clondalkin, Lucan, and Blanchardstown

Blanchardstown

Blanchardstown is a large suburb of Dublin in the district of Fingal, Ireland. It is within the historical barony of Castleknock. It is located 10 km north-west of the city centre. The suburb is in the Dublin 15 postal area, the Dublin West electoral constituency, and Fingal County...

. This metro line will eventually join up with Metro North and continue out to Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...

Fingal is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. With its county seat located in Swords, it has a population of 239,992 according to the 2006 census...

. The first 4 stops of Metro West will be in Tallaght, with the first stop, 'Tallaght East' being situated near Tallaght IT on the Belgard Road.
A LUAS extension from Tallaght to Citywest and to Saggart has now opened. This is a 4.2 km (2.5 mi) extension, funded by a Public Private Partnership with property developers. Identified as Line A1, this €150 million spur off the Red Line at Belgard runs to Saggart. Originally intended to be a spur off the proposed Red Line to Fortunestown, it was later decided to bring the line all the way to Saggart. Construction started on 9 February 2009, with the line completed by early 2011. Passenger services on the 4.2 km light rail link started in early 2011. It will serve communities such as Cairnwood, Ambervale, Belgard Green, Fettercairn, Kilmartin, Brookview and Ardmore.

Population

The county council stated in 2003 that the population of Tallaght and environs is just under 73,000. While Tallaght is the seat of South Dublin County, it has no specific local administration in the form of its own local authority. In addition, while there exist two distinct local electoral areas in the form of Tallaght Central (based around the town proper) and Tallaght South (suburbs and some rural areas), Tallaght possesses no legal boundary and as a result, it is very difficult to define an official population figure for the area. The population of the village remains modest but the broader area is now one of Ireland's largest population centres. In fact, if the entirety of Tallaght and its environs were taken into account, then the population would be greater than that of Galway, rendering Tallaght the third largest area of population in the state after Dublin Cork and Limerick. Irish population statistics are calculated from District Electoral Divisions, and these are often combined to estimate "area populations". Several localities "historically associated with" Tallaght, have been differently assigned since 1986, and the total population from the 2006 census figure for the remaining electoral divisions is 64,227, while including all of the areas redesignated in 1986 gives a figure of 103,301.

Districts

"Greater Tallaght" comprises Tallaght village and a range of areas that were formerly small settlements (Jobstown, Old Bawn, Kilnamanagh) and rural townlands, all developed in recent decades.

The N81 road is a national secondary road in Ireland, connecting the gates of Trinity College, Dublin to Tullow, County Carlow, north to south. The N81 continues past Tullow for another 8 km to terminate at the village of Closh, County Carlow, where it intersects the N80. The N81 is long...

. It stretches east-west from Main Road and Main Street to the Abberley Court Hotel at the end of High Street, and encompasses Village Green, Tallaght Courthouse, Westpark, and many shops, restaurants and banks. It also houses Tallaght Youth Service, Tallaght's first newspaper printing house, the Tallaght Echo, and (formally) Tallaght Community Arts Centre. The Institute of Technology, Saint Mary's Priory, and Saint Maelruain's Church are located in the historic quarter of Tallaght village.

The newer "town centre" lies immediately to the south across the Belgard Road, encompassing Belgard Square, the main shopping complex (known as The Square), the Luas

Luas

Luas , also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, is a tram or light rail system serving Dublin, the first such system in the decades since the closure of the last of the Dublin tramways. In 2007, the system carried 28.4 million passengers, a growth of 10% since...

Red Line terminus, Tallaght Hospital (including the current National Children's Hospital), County Hall, the Civic Theatre, South Dublin County Library, Rua Red Arts Centre, and several bars, restaurants and hotels.

To the northeast of the village lies the Tymon North / Balrothery area, rural townlands until the 1970s. This includes estates such as Bancroft, Balrothery, Glenview

Glenview, Tallaght

Glenview is a series of small estates in Tallaght, South Dublin. It is home to a population of almost 1,700 . The Estates include the larger Glenview Park, which includes a small shopping center . The other estates are Glenview Lawns and Glenview Drive...

, Castle Park, Saint Aongus, Tymon, Bolbrook and Avonbeg. These parts are home to several sporting facilities, including the National Basketball Arena

National Basketball Arena

National Basketball Arena, also known as Tallaght Arena or the ESB Arena, is an indoor sporting arena located in Tallaght, Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is used mainly for basketball events...

, a fitness centre, two swimming pools, an athletics track, and an astroturf soccer facility. Tymon Park is watered by the River Poddle

River Poddle

The River Poddle , is one of the best known of the more than a hundred watercourses of Dublin. It is the source of the name "Dublin", the city being named after a pool that was once on its course...

, and is Ireland's second largest city park. It borders the separate areas of Greenhills

Greenhills

Greenhills is a suburb situated in Templeogue in the Southside of the city of Dublin, Ireland. It sits between Walkinstown, Kimmage, Tallaght, Terenure and Templeogue. It is generally understood to comprise the Greenhills Estate as well as Greenpark, Limekiln and Temple Manor...

Oldbawn is a small suburban area now within Tallaght on Dublin's Southside. Formerly a small village in its own right, it is situated near the River Dodder.-History:...

, formerly a small village in its own right, bordered by Sean Walsh Memorial (or Watergate) Park to the north, Firhouse Road West to the south, Old Bawn Road to the east, and Kiltipper Way to the west. To the east of Old Bawn, estates include Home Lawns, Mountain Park, Millbrook Lawns and Seskin View.

To the southeast of the N81 dual carriageway are Kiltipper, Ellensborough, Aylesbury

Aylesbury, Tallaght

Aylesbury is a housing development in Tallaght, Ireland.Aylesbury was built in the 1980s in the area historically known as Old Bawn and although Old Bawn still exists Aylesbury is now the larger settlement. The local church, dedicated to St Martin de Porres, opened its doors on 9 December 1976...

In the northwest, Belgard Green, Belgard Heights, and Kingswood are adjacent to Clondalkin

Clondalkin

-Today:Modern Clondalkin is a busy satellite town of Dublin, with a population of 43,929 in 2006. Retail facilities include Tesco Ireland- and Dunnes Stores-led shopping centres, and Aldi and Lidl stores on the Fonthill Road and New Nangor Road respectively, and the village centre is a base for...

Greenhills is a suburb situated in Templeogue in the Southside of the city of Dublin, Ireland. It sits between Walkinstown, Kimmage, Tallaght, Terenure and Templeogue. It is generally understood to comprise the Greenhills Estate as well as Greenpark, Limekiln and Temple Manor...

Walkinstown is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the Southside of the city, approximately 6 kilometres south-west of Dublin city centre. The suburb borders Crumlin to the east, Drimnagh to the north, Greenhills to the south and Ballymount, Bluebell and Clondalkin to the west...

Crumlin is suburb in Southside Dublin, Ireland. It is the site of Ireland's largest hospital for children.-Location:Crumlin covers the area from the River Poddle near the KCR to the Drimnagh Road, to Bunting Road, and is situated not far from the city centre, on the Southside of Dublin city....

. Tallaght Theatre is situated along the Greenhills Road.

Immediately west of the town centre are the estates of Virginia Heights and Springfield. Further west are Jobstown

Jobstown

Jobstown is an area now considered part of West Tallaght, Tallaght itself being the county seat of South Dublin County, Ireland. The West Tallaght area, which is not officially defined, encompasses Jobstown, Killinarden, Fettercairn, Cushlawn, Rossfield and Brookfield.-History:Jobstown was once a...

, Kiltalown, Brookfield and Fettercairn.

Rural Areas

To the far west, are newer estates such as Deselby, Mountain View, The Belfry, Ardmore, Westbrook Glen, Saggart Abbey, Verschoyle and Carrigmore. The rural villages of Saggart

Saggart

Saggart is a suburban village in South Dublin County, Ireland, south west of Dublin city. It lies between the N7 , Rathcoole, and Tallaght.-Name:A monk called Mosacra founded a settlement on the site of the village in the 7th century...

and of Rathcoole lie further west, along with the air force aerodrome at Baldonnell. There is also still considerable open land, some still farmed, in this direction.

Features

Tallaght is home to The Square (abbreviated to "sq."), is one of Ireland's largest shopping centres. The centre consists of three retail levels and is accessible by the Luas

Luas

Luas , also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, is a tram or light rail system serving Dublin, the first such system in the decades since the closure of the last of the Dublin tramways. In 2007, the system carried 28.4 million passengers, a growth of 10% since...

and extensive bus services. Anchor tenants at the centre include Tesco

Tesco

Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...

Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...

Dunnes Stores, also known as Dunnes, is a supermarket and clothing retail chain, that is based in Dublin, Ireland.The chain primarily sells food, clothes and household wares. In addition to its main customer base in Ireland, the chain has operations in Great Britain and Spain...

have been built (or are currently under development) in the new town centre.

Three hotels are located in the town centre: the Plaza Hotel near The Square, the Abberley Court Hotel at High Street, the Maldron Hotel at Whitestown Way, near Watergate Park. The Glashus Hotel and Tallaght Cross Hotel were at "Tallaght Cross" but closed during the financial crisis.

The "town centre" area holds offices of local and central government entities, including South Dublin County Council, the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social and Family Affairs, the Health Service Executive (Eastern Region), County Dublin V.E.C., as well as local FÁS

Fas

Fas can mean the following:* Fas receptor, an important cell surface receptor protein of the TNF receptor family known also as CD95, that induces apoptosis on binding Fas ligand.* Fes, Morocco, the third largest city in Morocco, as an alternate spelling...

offices. It is also the location of the County Library, Rua Red - the County Arts Centre, the Civic Theatre, and many shops, bars, and restaurants.

The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, incorporating the National Children's Hospital (commonly known as Tallaght Hospital) is located nearby.

Across the N81 dual carriageway, south of the town centre, is the 6,000 seat soccer ground called Tallaght Stadium

Tallaght Stadium

Tallaght Stadium is a football stadium in the Southside suburb of Tallaght, Dublin. Shamrock Rovers originally announced details of the stadium back in July 1996...

Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...

on lands belonging to South Dublin County Council, but the project was marred by financial problems, and the site reverted to council ownership. Work on the site recommenced on 6 May 2008, after a judicial review taken by a local GAA club had been thrown out of court the preceding January. South of this is Sean Walsh Memorial Park.

Recent construction

The "town centre" area has witnessed much construction in recent years, predominantly of new apartment buildings, including Virginia Hall, a twelve storey building on the site of the farmhouse previously known as 'Virginia House' (the base of operations for many years of the Tallaght Community Arts Centre). This new building is currently the tallest in Tallaght. A new arts centre for South Dublin County called Rua Red was recently opened at a site near to County Hall, just south of the new library extension.

Intensive work has been promised in the near future to further integrate Watergate Park with the new town centre. Part of this development will either include transforming a section of the current dual carriageway into a boulevard to better integrate the two areas, or the construction of a pedestrian land-bridge between them.

The original Tallaght village area has recently received a long awaited face lift in the form of landscaping, works on statues, and new paving. However, several new developments have not yet been completed, giving the unfinished village a ghost town appearance.

ITT is in the process of redeveloping land donated by Saint Mary's Priory for use as sports pitches.

Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...

. It is divided into two wards in South Dublin County Council - Tallaght Central and Tallaght South. Altogether 11 councillors are elected.
It is regarded as being very left leaning with the Labour Party

Labour Party (Ireland)

The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...

Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...

Alan Dukes is a former Irish politician who served as leader of the Fine Gael political party and Teachta Dála for Kildare and Kildare South. He holds the distinction of being one of only five TDs to be appointed Minister on their first day in the Dáil. He lost his seat in the 2002 general election...

Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...

political party, delivered a famous speech to the Tallaght Chamber of Commerce in which the policy which became known as the Tallaght Strategy

Tallaght Strategy

In Irish politics, the Tallaght Strategy was a policy followed by the Fine Gael party starting in 1987. Under this policy, the Fine Gael opposition party would not oppose economic reforms proposed by the Fianna Fáil minority government in the national interest...

was outlined.

Education

Tallaght is the home of the Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT), a third-level

Higher education

Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

Sports

Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...

Tallaght Stadium is a football stadium in the Southside suburb of Tallaght, Dublin. Shamrock Rovers originally announced details of the stadium back in July 1996...

in 2009. The club finished its first season in Tallaght runners-up in the league. The club won their first League title in 2010

2010 League of Ireland

The 2010 League of Ireland was the 90th season of the League of Ireland. For the 26th season in succession, it was played using a two division format, consisting of the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland First Division. Bohemians were the defending League of Ireland...

ending a 16 year drought by narrowly beating Bohemians to the title on goal difference

Goal difference

In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....

. Rovers hosted their first game in European competition in Tallaght in the second qualifying round of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League against Bnei Yehuda from Israel, the game in Tallaght finished 1-1 and Rovers advanced 2-1 on aggregate after wining the second leg in Israel 1-0. Rovers faced former Champions League

UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

The Dublin Mountains Way is a waymarked long-distance trail in the Dublin Mountains, County Dublin, Ireland. The route is approximately long and runs from Shankill in the East to Tallaght in the West...

a long-distance walking route across the Dublin Mountains between Tallaght and Shankill

Shankill, Dublin

Shankill is a suburb in the South-East of Dublin located in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Ireland. It has a population of 13,242 .-History:-Name:...

begins at Sean Walsh Park near Tallaght Stadium.

South Dublin Taekwondo are the only WTF (Olympic Style) taekwondo club in Tallaght. They were founded in 2008 by head coach Master Robert Taaffe and are residents in the Tallaght Leisure Centre.

Tallaght Rugby Football Club is located in Ballymana Lane but play out of Tymon park whilst development of the Ballymana grounds begins in 2012. They were founded as a youth team in 2002 with financial support from the IRFU before setting up a senior team in 2006.

Rua Red is one of the major buildings for the hosting of arts/entertainment events and groups.

Tallaght Young Filmmakers are a youth film making group situated in Rua Red.

Cinemas at Tallaght is an upcoming cinema due to be situated in the Square

Square

-Mathematics and science:* Square , a cryptographic block cipher* Square , a regular quadrilateral with four equal sides and four right angles* Square number, an integer that is the square of another integer-Construction:...

shopping centre.

Events

The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...

Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...

parade, but for the past three years this once proud tradition has unfortunately been abandoned. For three consecutive years Tallaght has played host to South Dublin County's annual 'Hallowfest' in celebration of the Gaelic New Year and Festival of the Dead. It has also been home to 'Tallafest' and has a division of South Dublin's 'FUSED Festival' and 'NOISE Festival' every year. There is a farmers' market held every Friday from 10:00 to 16:00 in High Street.

The Dubliners are an Irish folk band founded in 1962.-Formation and history:The Dubliners, initially known as "The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group", formed in 1962 and made a name for themselves playing regularly in O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin...

Richard Patrick Dunne is an Irish footballer who plays as a defender for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national football team. With Ireland he was a member of the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad and helped his team qualify for UEFA Euro 2012.Dunne began his professional career at Everton...

Evie Hone was a Dublin born Irish painter and stained glass artist.She was related to Nathaniel Hone and Nathaniel Hone the Younger. Her most important works are probably the East Window for the Chapel at Eton College, Windsor and My Four Green Fields, now located in Government Buildings...

Ger O'Brien is an Irish football defender, who currently plays for Bohemians in the League of Ireland.-Biography:Ger O'Brien was signed by Eric Hannigan before the start of the 2004 season from Athlone Town. He was the first player to represent the Republic of Ireland at any level while playing...

Eric McGill is an Irish professional footballer currently playing for Drogheda United. He made his professional debut for Shamrock Rovers as a late substitute in the FAI cup game against Castlebar Celtic. Eric signed for Drogheda United on 31st July 2009 .-References:...

Vinny Perth is a former Irish footballer and current manager of Malahide United.During his career as a player he first played for Cherry Orchard where as a schoolboy footballer he won 4 league titles 3 all Ireland cup medals and several DDSL cups...

Oisín Kelly was an Irish sculptor.Kelly was born as Austin Kelly in Dublin, the son of William Kelly, principal of James's Street National School, and his wife Elizabeth . Until he became an artist in residence at the Kilkenny Design Centre in 1966, he worked as a school teacher...

Kojii Helnwein , born January 8, is a model, actress and musician.-Early Life and Family:Born in Dublin, Ireland, Kojii is the daughter of musician Enda Wyatt of Irish rock band An Emotional Fish and holistic healing mother.Kojii has one brother who is also a bassist and trained in holistic...

William Howard Russell was an Irish reporter with The Times, and is considered to have been one of the first modern war correspondents, after he spent 22 months covering the Crimean War including the Charge of the Light Brigade.-Career:As a young reporter, Russell reported on a brief military...

(1821–1907), journalist, and possibly the world's first modern war correspondent.

Katharine Tynan was an Irish-born writer, known mainly for her novels and poetry. After her marriage in 1898 to the writer and barrister Henry Albert Hinkson she usually wrote under the name Katharine Tynan Hinkson...

Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...

Aidan Turner is an Irish actor. He is best known for playing Dante Gabriel Rossetti on Desperate Romantics, Ruairí McGowan on The Clinic, and John Mitchell on the supernatural drama series Being Human. He will be playing Kíli in the upcoming two-part fantasy film The Hobbit.-Early life:Aidan...

Being Human is a British supernatural drama television series. It was created and written by Toby Whithouse and is currently broadcast on BBC Three. The show blends elements of flatshare comedy and horror drama...

).

See also

In Irish politics, the Tallaght Strategy was a policy followed by the Fine Gael party starting in 1987. Under this policy, the Fine Gael opposition party would not oppose economic reforms proposed by the Fianna Fáil minority government in the national interest...